GAZA — Israel launched airstrikes and artillery fire on southern Gaza on Sunday after it said its troops came under attack from Hamas militants, marking the first major test of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire aimed at ending more than two years of war.

The Israeli military said Hamas fighters fired a rocket-propelled grenade in Rafah, prompting Israeli retaliation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with security officials and ordered the army to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but stopped short of threatening a return to full-scale conflict.

Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah clashes, saying it remains committed to the ceasefire.

The incident came as Israel identified the remains of two hostages returned overnight by Hamas — Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai worker killed at Kibbutz Be’eri.
Both were killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel also said the Rafah border crossing with Egypt will remain closed “until further notice,” tying its reopening to Hamas’ handover of the remains of all 28 deceased hostages. So far, Hamas has returned 13 bodies, 12 of which Israel identified as hostages.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Israel has transferred 150 bodies of Palestinians back to Gaza, including 15 on Sunday, and that only 25 of them have been identified. Some remains showed signs of severe decomposition and missing limbs.

The exchange of bodies follows the earlier release of 20 living hostages and more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners under the first phase of the ceasefire deal proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The next stages will focus on disarming Hamas, further Israeli withdrawals, and establishing a new governing mechanism for Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed that talks to begin the second phase of ceasefire negotiations have started with mediators.
Spokesman Hazem Kassem said the discussions would require “national consensus” and reiterated that Hamas would not be part of Gaza’s postwar administration.

Israel’s refusal to reopen the Rafah crossing has drawn concern from aid agencies, as thousands of Palestinians remain in need of medical evacuation and humanitarian relief.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since 2023, while around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial Hamas assault.

Separately, Hamas rejected a U.S. State Department claim that it was planning new attacks against civilians in Gaza, calling it “false propaganda” and accusing Israel of supporting armed groups engaged in looting and unrest.
The group said its forces were working to restore order in areas vacated by the Israeli military. — Agencies